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Mini may have overexpanded, some models may not be replaced

Surprise, surprise. According to Edmunds, Mini may be looking to reduce the number of vehicles in its range, which has recently expanded to include a total of seven offerings (not to mention the copious varieties of configurations found within each line). When Mini relaunched in the early 2000s, it did so with one model, the Cooper Hardtop, and has since added the Convertible, Clubman, Countryman, Coupe, Roadster and Paceman. It looks like those ambitions of expanding the range to include up to 10 models may have been a bit optimistic.
"When we start to replace models, I think you will see that we won't replace every model exactly," Jim McDowell, Vice President of Mini USA, told Edmunds in an interview. The brand's core models right now are the Hardtop and Countryman, and of the roughly 66,200 vehicles that Mini sold in the United States last year, these two vehicles accounted for some 75 percent of total sales.
McDowell declined to mention any specific models that may not be replaced in the lineup's next generation, though our best guess is that ultra-niche vehicles like the Coupe (pictured) or Clubman. As for replacing some of the current models with new products, the only clear gap we can see in the brand's lineup is a smaller car like the Rocketman concept, though we've been told several times that a mini-Mini isn't going to happen. Be sure to let us know what Mini models you'd like to see kept or axed in Comments below.

Utah man builds iRacing simulator inside 2005 Mini Cooper S

Brent Cheney is an artist and part-time racer who used to own a tuning shop for time attack cars. That's why, when he decided to get into iRacing and wanted an immersive simulator, he wouldn't settle for mere technical excellence. As first covered by Salt Lake City's KSL news, then in more detail by Motor Authority, Cheney decided he wanted to cut a car into pieces, and rebuild it in the basement of his Salt Lake City, Utah house with a racing sim inside. He needed "the right aesthetic," ruling out something like a Toyota Corolla, but he refused the sacrilege of cutting up anything too precious to an enthusiast. After narrowly missing out on buying a 1999 BMW M3 convertible, then turning to a Mitsubishi Eclipse done up in splashy green like Brian O'Conner's car in the original "Fast and Furious," he ended up with a Mini Cooper. The Brit was a better choice than the German and the Japanese, in fact, thanks to a hardtop that would create a dark enclosure, and seams and shutlines in the right places to hide the necessary cuts.  Cheney found a 2005 Cooper S that had been junked over an engine issue, getting the coupe for $1,000 and parting out the internals he didn't need for the same $1,000 he paid. After watching a YouTube video on how to cut a car, he dismembered the Cooper into seven pieces with a cordless reciprocating saw wielding a Diablo Steel Demon 6-inch blade, and carried the pieces into his man cave. He reassembled those pieces on a wood base with the aid of 200 brackets and many more sheetmetal screws, nuts, and bolts. Once the car was put back together, body parts and trim pieces hid all the seams. Before reinstalling the interior, the artist laid in the sim equipment. After doubling the minimum requirements for iRacing, Cheney's system included an Intel Core i9 8-core processor NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB Founders Edition video card running Windows 10 inside a Thermaltake PC case under the Cooper S hood, as the new "engine." A Fanatec Podium DD1 direct-drive steering column and wheel and Fanatec V3 pedals went in the cabin, along with a Harman Kardon home theater 5.1 surround sound system. He mounted the wheel on the Mini's steering column with a fabricated adapter, put the Fanatec pedals where the car's pedals had been, put a ButtKicker Mini transducer in the original Mini seat for extra realism, and hid all the wiring beneath the carpet and interior trim components.

Mini 60 Years Edition celebrates six decades since the original hit the streets

The original Mini launched in 1959, making this year the car's 60th anniversary. To celebrate, Mini is offering a special Mini 60 Years Edition car for the 2019 model year. Mini did a pretty awesome photo shoot for this limited-edition car, showing us how big the Mini is now compared to what it used to be in 1959. That might not have been the point, but man is it interesting to see the two chugging along next to each other. You can order the 60 Years Edition with either the three-door or five-door Mini — the larger Clubman and Countryman will not be getting this treatment. As for the changes from Mini, it's mostly aesthetic. The standard color is a British racing green, but you could choose among four other non-green colors, too. Mini will paint the roof either white or black, and the same goes for the exterior mirror caps. Plenty of stripes are already available for Minis, but this special edition has unique hood stripes — the 60 Years logo appears on just the left-hand hood stripe. That's just the beginning when it comes to anniversary stickers and logos. You'll see the designation on the door sills, interior trim, front headrests, steering wheel, and the logo is even projected onto the ground by LED light upon opening the door. Mini 60 Years Edition View 33 Photos A bunch of equipment is made standard in these 60 Year cars for a bit more luxury. Full LED lighting front and back comes with all of them. The interior trim is done in an exclusive dark maroon color — the sports seats and leather steering wheel will also be standard equipment. In the U.S. you'll be able to get either the normal Cooper or the Cooper S with this special edition package. This means either the 1.5-liter turbo or 2.0-liter turbo will be up for grabs with your 60 Years Edition Mini. These particular cars will be available in March this year, but Mini doesn't spell out pricing nor production numbers for them. Since the changes aren't necessarily drastic, we wouldn't expect an unruly price, but expect to pony up a bit more for the privilege of owning one of these. Related video: Featured Gallery Mini 60 Years Edition and original Mini View 58 Photos MINI Hatchback